Last Meetings [Blythe]

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

10th Fall 511AV

Serrif had finished his day in Lym’s lab a little early. She had dismissed him saying he should take some time to himself. That wasn’t a lie at all, he knew he needed some time to rest. Lym and he had been working nearly tirelessly day and night almost. Any spare time was spent helping Lym any way possible. There was a certain sense of urgency about everything as of late. Maybe it was because the healers and all were expected to rush things along? He wasn’t sure but it felt like there was more to it than that. Much more. She had been teaching him questionable things as well as the basics. He wasn’t uncomfortable with this but it was strange to him. She taught him some poisons as well as sedatives and medicines that if used improperly would kill. It was rather strange to him. Why all the sudden was she teaching him things that the Order may have issues with. Especially since she was teaching them to a non-order member? He couldn’t think of any reasons in his head. He just couldn’t. And that was because his mind wasn’t completely thinking out of the box in this instance.

So he decided he would fish for his dinner tonight. The fish always were a little easier to catch just as the sun was going down. And well he was already on the beach pole in hand ready to fish out his bounty. He knew that he would want to catch in the least three or so fish. He had a skillet that he purchased from the market. And well the firewood he had already cut up and taken from the forest. The fire was ready to go. All he had to do was catch dinner. And that wouldn’t be so hard he thought. Fish here near Mura seemed to be really quite easy to catch. He still hadn’t found a reason for that….maybe it had to do with the water or something? Maybe but that didn’t make much sense to him so he figured he would just simply fish and see what happened. Eventually about half an hour later he got a bite and he pulled it in. He didn’t have to fight the fish that much, it was odd but welcomed. He pulled the fish in…it was a simple grouper. Red in color and was about a foot or so long. That was decent. He set the fish aside in a small bucket of water and then continued fishing. Ne never really knew what he would catch out here. But he did know if he was patient he would get enough food for himself and then some.

Out here on the beach he felt so…peaceful. He fished because it brought his mind to ease. His mind was quiet when he was fishing, which was a welcome difference compared to the norm for him. Working with Lym required all the concentration he had and his full attention and skill. And then training with Ildin laid his body to fatigue as well. The two when put together wore him out physically and emotionally. But being out here and just simply fishing well allowed him to quiet himself down for the evening. He was able to sooth his mind with the sounds of the wonderful rolling waves. Every last one of them rolling away his cares and concerns with them; carrying them out into the abyss. Where they stayed until he called them up again. But when he was fishing he had no need for worries. No care for them either. He was just peaceful. With his eyes closed he swore he could almost feel the waves gently rocking him. Caressing his face, got if the ocean were a woman… A smile crossed his face at the thought. He would steal her away in a heartbeat. But alas; the ocean was the ocean. And she had her harsh side as well.

[Blythe]

Blythe tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she walked steadily along the beach. Her pace somewhat slow as the cool sand slipped through the spaces between her toes. As the beige grains sank into the skin that lined her bare feet. Her feet broke through the surface of the sand, as she moved herself along, keeping her lavender-colored eyes down, at the ground just before her step. Today she was on a mission, she was looking for a new set of divination shells, since she had cracked a few of her old ones, and misplaced the others.

The dwindling, golden-colored rays of the sun kissed her skin, and caused the scales that lined her forehead to shimmer as her toes ran over smooth rocks. As they stepped tenderly over broken shells. None of these will do, she thought, as she kept on moving, a little faster now, in the hopes that she may complete her task by the time night fell. They're simply not the right shade, the right shape, the right kind of shell... not only that, but they're all chipped, or split down the middle. None of them will do... The Konti sighed once more as she listened the the sound of the waves crashing into shore. As she listened to the last of the gulls calling out to each other as they circled the beach upon their lofty place in the sky. Their wings gliding against an invisible current of air, as they fought to remain soaring amongst the clouds. Their beady black eyes grazing the ground, hoping to find one last bite to eat.

As the sun continued to sink, Blythe continued to search. There must be at least one perfect shell I can bring home by the end of the day, she thought, as the scent of saltwater filled her nostrils, causing the edges to turn bright red as they flared. Trying to take it all in. Just one...

A subtle sound cut across all the others. A gentle plop, as though something had been thrown into the sea. As though something had been cast away. Blythe looked up, and noticed the darkening outline of another figure further along the shore. No more than fifty feet away, if even that. The Konti smiled weakly, as she picked up the pace, doing her best to approach the figure in a way that would not cause alarm.

When she was within twenty feet of the figure, Blythe realized that it was not another of her Konti sisters, but a man. One she recognized and knew well. Her smile widened. "Hello Serrif," she called. "It's good to see you again," she went on, as her lavender-colored eyes ran up and down the length of his body, taking in the sight of his trousers, which had been drenched to the knee as he stood in the water that crashed angrily all around him. Trying to knock him down as he fought to stay upright, as he fought for a bounty of fish. He seemed even stronger than the last time they had met, fuller. More determined, and perhaps, a little rugged. A little less clean shaven. "Have you caught anything today?" she asked, "or are you struggling now that the sun is starting to set?"

By then, Blythe was standing only a few feet behind his left shoulder. Waiting, wondering if she was getting in his way; if she would be asked to leave. To go home.

OOCIf anything seems out of place, just pm me and I can edit.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

He was meditating as he fished. His eyes closed as he listened. He could hear the rolling waves as they broke around him. His stance was widened so he could stand strong against the waves a little better. He was determined to stand his ground as he fished for dinner. Sounds came into his ears as he fished. He heard the gulls as they lazily hovered above and made their almost endless circles in the sky above. That in conjunction with the crashing of the waves and the calm caressing of the sun brought a very content smile to his face. He drifted and felt like his world was suddenly melting around him. Everything was perfect in this very moment. He only wished he had someone to share it with, he wished he had the hints of someone’s presence.

Suddenly just like a wish out of nowhere he swore he heard foot-falls on the beach. Did he really hear feet or was that just the sound of the waves throwing around shells on the shore? He didn’t know but he opened his eyes and looked to the source of the sound. It was a Konti, but one that hadn’t seen in some time. Her soft lavender eyes and long blond hair gave her away immediately to him. But her voice as she greeted him was what really gave her away. He smiled and nodded.

“It is good to see you as well Blythe” He continued to fish as she drew closer.

He had been eating well and his body had filled out well. That combined with Ildin’s stressful body pushing exercises had really made his body change. It seemed every time she saw him he was undergoing drastic changes. That coupled with the fact that he hadn’t shaven himself clean in a few days meant he had something of a beard developing. He didn’t mind and it seemed that the women here found it interesting as well. He wondered if Blythe was among them. But he had honestly given up trying to prove himself to any Konti woman. He was going to be who he was; and he was happy with that as well. Blythe spoke again and he motioned to a bucket near her.

“I’m doing ok so far. They tend to want to snack right before they sleep. Nightfall is a good time to fish.” If she looked down into the bucket she would see a pinkish red grouper looking back up at her through the water. It seemed he had caught something.

“You know if I am really lucky I could make it dinner for two Blythe.” He said as he shot her a smile before he turned back around and continued fishing.

He always wanted to have a dinner with Blythe, even if nothing would come from it. He knew she was going to avoid him. But now it seemed that the fates were going to bring them together time and time again for its own hilarity. But he just knew that despite everything they could and would never be. And that being true he just wouldn’t be able to have a romantic anything with her. So he wouldn’t pursue her any longer. That was just how he felt, but he knew that she was still just as beautiful as he remembered.

In a way he wanted to just stare into her eyes and tell her exactly what he felt…again. But he knew if he did that she would walk away again. And he couldn’t accept that any longer. The denial of his feelings and himself. He had moved past it and had just really accepted it for what it was. So he dismissed it and spoke again.

“If you would join me Blythe.” He said as he felt another bite on the line and began reeling it in.

[Blythe]

"I wouldn't know. My sisters are the ones who fish in the family. I simply cook whatever it is they catch," Blythe replied as she glanced at Serrif's bucket and flashed the slightest of smiles. It looks like he is getting better with each moment he spends on this island, she thought, as she raised her gaze, and stared into his eyes, but just for a moment, before he turned from her.

"If you're lucky," Blythe whispered, as she took a step closer to him. She held her hands out to her side, as she cast her gaze away from his broad back. The muscles that seemed to ripple beneath his skin. The little that was exposed about his neck, in the places where the fabric of his clothes could not reach. It was making her blush a little, looking at how he had changed; admiring, and she could stand it no longer. Instead, she forced herself to keep her lavender colored eyes on the sea. On the rolling waves. On the little string attached to Serrif's fishing pole which seemed to sway with the current. Bob up and down with the waves. She listened to them crashing into the shore. Soaking the sand, causing it to grow both moist and dark. She glanced at the rippling line it made across the shore. The boundary between light sand and dark sand. Dry and wet.

But all Blythe saw there was a line of smooth stone. Of tiny white bubbles, sea foam that had yet to pop. She smiled weakly, as she looked back up at the sea, and then towards Serrif's strong back. "That would be lovely Ser. I'd love to stay. To eat by the sea, beneath the light of the stars," she whispered, as she took another step closer, and slowly, raised her right hand. Her fingers were pressed lightly against each other, held together by an invisible string. They curled slightly, into her palm as she forced them to dangle a few inches behind his right shoulder blade. "But you'd have to let me cook, at the very least... it's only proper with you offering to share you catch," she finished, as she glanced back down. Feeling foolish for wanting to touch him. To feel how much he had changed for herself. To ease the muscles that seemed to twitch beneath his flesh. To ease the pain she was certain he still felt.

Blythe felt foolish. Doubtful, she lowered her hand, but only a little. She knew she only wanted to touch him. To hold him... was it just her motherly instinct though? Or something more? She wasn't so sure she was sure anymore. She wasn't so sure her heart knew what it wanted. If she saw Ser as a friend, or someone to take care of, or something else entirely.

Blythe sighed. Serrif had always been so kind to her, and yet, she had run away once, without explaining. She had never bothered to... but was it too late now? Would he even remember that day? Was it so much as worth bringing up after all this time had passed? So many moons? The konti sighed again, as she raised her right hand a little higher, so it dangled in the place it had once inhabited, waiting for her to make a final decision.

It's just your motherly instinct acting up, Blythe told herself, the two of you are just friends, her mind went on, although, at this point, she hardly believed its whispers. Drawing in a final, calming breath, Blythe pushed her hand forward. Crossing the small space that had lingered between them, until her palm met with his shoulder blade. She thought she could feel him tensing beneath her touch, causing her to wonder all the more if she was doing the right thing.

"Hopefully it won't take too long," Blythe whispered. "It must be difficult, to have to cook by the light of the moon." She drew her hand downwards a little, following the line of his back. Pressing her hand into his flesh a little, so that she could feel the lean muscle that rested beneath it. She smiled weakly. He had changed so much, and yet, she had stayed exactly the same. No different, from the day that the two of them had met.

As Blythe thought about this, her hand trailed lower, and lower, until it was at the base of Serrif's back. When she felt the gentle knobs, indentures of flesh close to his kidney's, Blythe's face turned red, and warm. She instantly pulled her hand away, as though she had touched a hot cold. "Sorry," she muttered, as she returned it to her side, and forced her eyes onto the sand at her feet. "You just seemed... so tense. Like you needed to relax," she whispered, her voice so soft, that it would be nearly impossible to hear over the crashing of the waves. "The sisters must be working you hard... if nothing has changed in your routine since we last met... you've gotten strong Ser," Blythe went on, her face taking on the color of a lobster.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Serrif continued to reel in another catch as Blythe spoke about how she cooked for her family. That reminded him of how much he wanted a family of his own. And also of how much he wasn’t going to have one here with anyone at all. It was a dissatisfying feeling but he knew that in the end he would have to leave this pleasant isle if he was ever going to mean anything to anyone. He wished he could tell her how much she had injured him, as well as how much she had tortured him…and she continued to do so. When her eyes met his he swore he lost track of time completely; it was still a weakness he supposed he had when he looked into the eyes of a beautiful woman. And Blythe was indeed a beautiful slender woman. Her wonderful lips, how he wanted to kiss them gently, and feel her sigh in pleasure as he did. But he gently sighed, he knew that he would have this someday with someone…just not her. Or so he kept telling himself.

He felt her hand feel his shoulders, and his muscles first tensed under her hands. He was fighting, did she enjoy torturing him? Did she really enjoy this? But he dismissed it, there was no way she understood what she was doing to him. The turmoil she was causing to rise up inside him. He struggled, none had touched him like she did. None reached out and gently almost shyly touched his body. It was as soft as a mothers touch…or maybe it was a lovers touch? He couldn’t be sure he didn’t even know if Blythe knew what she was doing anymore. He wasn’t sure she knew the implications of touching someone like she was. Especially someone who she knew could possibly still be in love with her.

“I’d love to have dinner with you under the stars, you may cook it if you wish. I have one pan you can use.” He had only gotten the pan a few days ago, but he knew he needed it.

However the second time she touched him it had quite opposite effects. She started at his shoulder then moved down his back. His body almost seemed to melt under her touch. She could feel just how much he had changed while he was here. He smiled and closed his eyes enjoying her gentle touch on his body. Her touch calmed his body and she could feel this underneath her soft hands which was such a stark contrast to the muscled and scarred body that belonged to this man. As she ran her hands down his spine she could feel some of the scars that reached across it. Some were deep, some were not but all of them had to be horrible to receive. He didn’t disserve them; and Blythe knew this. None could do anything to earn the scars this man carried. But he carried them with dignity and honor.

She was right, he was a gentle soul. Kind and loving yet Blythe still knew that there wasn’t a single woman in his life. He didn’t know how to get what he really wanted in life. He didn’t know how to press people for answers or pose the really hard questions; only because he was so gentle. He didn’t want to hurt anyone; including Blythe. He knew that there was something deep underneath Blythe that was hurt that she still held the broken pieces to. But he didn’t know what this was and it pained him. So if she was going to have to walk away from him to make herself feel better then so be it. If it made her feel better he would let her do it. If it made her feel good to torture him by tracing his body with her soft hands…and torturing him endlessly he would let her.

“Cooking by moonlight isn’t too difficult, I’m sure you can manage it.” He reeled in the fish and then unhooked it and put it in the bucket with the other. They now had two rather large fish that he needed to gut and clean before they cooked them. However that would come later.

“I relax when I can, and I struggle when I need to.” He said as he then felt her hand pull away. She was likely blushing as red as a strawberry right now. And when she complimented how strong he had gotten he knew it would only get worse. She was likely embarrassed beyond belief right now.

“Between Ildin and Lym I’m not sure who works me harder Blythe.” He said as he then approached Blythe directly.

She would likely be somewhat stunned by his advance. His figure was much larger than hers, as well as much stronger than hers. She smelled wonderful to him, she smelt of the sea and his hand gently graced up the side of her left arm then stopped at her face. The entire side of her face fit wonderfully in the palm of his hand as his emerald eyes looked into hers. He gently caressed her as he smiled then pulled his hand away speaking to her.

“I’ll make a fire then dress the fish. You can stay here.”

[Blythe]

Blythe followed the dark outline of Serrif's hand with her lavender colored eyes, as it reached for her. Shrank into the shadows it cast across her pale flesh. As it kept the light of Syna's setting sun from caressing that which lined her forehead, the scales, that no longer shimmered. Which no longer seemed to glow with her life force.

Blythe's lips parted, but only a little. Just enough to expose the line of her front teeth. Pearly white. The top dropping below the line her pale pink lips formed, making her seem young, and innocent. As Serrif's hand reached her arm, she closed them, gently, and gasped a little. Sharply dragging air into her lungs, and holding it there as her flesh rippled. Her skin shuddering beneath his touch. The tiny hairs that lined her arm standing on end as Serrif's touch sent a cool, tingling sensation through the length of her arm, and then her cheek...

Blythe closed her eyes then, shutting them lightly. A part of her enjoyed this. A part of her seemed afraid. He was just a friend, someone for her to look after as he sought his way. And yet, another portion of her was convinced that he was something more than that. That their relationship was not so simple. That she wanted and needed there to be something more.

Blythe's eyes shut a little more tightly. The flesh of her lid seemed to ripple, and scrunch. Matching the rolling waves of the sea. She couldn't feel Serrif's hand anymore. She couldn't hear the gulls calling to each other, the gentle burst of sea foam, or the crashing of the waves into the shore. She could not smell the sea, smell Serrif- the subtle scent of fish upon his flesh. She could not see anything. Everything had grown dark, still. Silent.

An eternity seemed to pass before there was a sudden burst of light. As though she were standing in the center of the sun. With time, the light seemed to ebb and flow. To ease, to make way for more color. For every color- pinks, blues, reds, and yellows. Green, purple, black and white. Every color imaginable was represented by a single thread. Several slender threads in some cases, that wound themselves around each other, forming braids, before they wove in and out of each other. It was as though she were standing in the center of an invisible loom, watching someone weave the most colorful, glorious tapestry ever created.

Blythe walked alongside some of the threads, touching them. Letting them fill her soul with a sense of warmth. Allowing them to cause her skin to tingle. Her fingertips to tremble, until: She was standing in the center of a small, circular clearing. Surrounded by cages filled with men and women that were so tightly packed, their limbs spilled through the bars. The ground she stood upon was cold. Hard. Dirt, with several jagged grey and black stones scattered throughout. The occasional, wilting patch of brown grass. Tinted green around the edges. Her feet were bare, upon the earth. Although, they were kept in place by a rusted old chain. A single chain, which seemed to rope both of her feet together. Hairy as though they were. Larger, darker. Not black, but tanned. As though they had seen too much sun. It was then that Blythe realized she was no longer Blythe. She was a man.

There was a loud cracking noise, that seemed to bounce across the terrain. Causing little bits of dirt to form dust clouds, which danced around Blythe's feet. And then she felt it. A sharp shooting pain that ran across the length of her back. Blythe screamed. She could feel her skin splitting, making way for a steady stream of blood. Her assailant drew his whip back again, ad then cracked it against her back once more.

Blythe's body trembled. A few tears had crept out of the corners of her eyes, as she bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming again.

"That is for disobeying!" a gruff man's voice screamed, as his whip sank into Blythe's flesh once more. Causing her teeth to let go of her plump lip, to make way for another scream. To make way for more tears.

After another scream, Blythe was jerked back into the present. She could feel a few cold, salty tears trickling down her face. Causing her cheeks to chill. She had come back just in time to watch Serrif pull his hand away. Had he stopped because she was crying? Was he afraid that she was afraid? That she didn't like it? Didn't want him touching her quite like that?

Blythe cast her gaze down at the ground. "Alright Ser," she whispered, "if you don't need any help, I can stay right here... I won't get in your way," she added, as she listened to the gentle hiss of sand as it sank back towards the earth with each of his steps. She could feel the line of his shadow shifting, making way for the light of the sinking sun. He was leaving to do other things now. Probably worried about her. Worried about himself. How strangely they both seemed to be acting.

Blythe eased her hand upwards, and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand before returning it to her side. Why was she so afraid of his believing she hadn't liked it? Was it because she too, longed for more, in her own way? Or because she was afraid of what Ser would think? Because she didn't want him to ever see her drenched in her own tears? Filled with pain; a heavy heart.

The Konti sniffed a few times, warding away the tears. Warding away the pain she had just felt. Knowing that it was Serrif's pain. That the scars she had run her fingers over were scars that had been inflicted in the way her gift had shown her. Some of the scars she had touched were scars from that day. She had tenderly run her fingers over them mere moments before, as though they were nothing. Avalis only knew if Serrif saw her as cruel.

"Watch over him," Blythe whispered, thinking of no other she could ask but Avalis, for the favor. "Let him come to know happiness, and far less pain," she finished, before glancing over her shoulder to see Serrif working. It looked as though he were making headway on both the fire and the fish. She turned her head back around and looked back out at sea. At the rolling of the waves. She listened to them crashing into the shore, and made her breathing roll with it. She made herself calm down. Forget the pain. Surely Ser wouldn't want to talk about it with her anyway. Surely he longed to forget, for his memory to fail him.

Finally, Blythe turned her body back around, and began to walk up the shore. "You about ready for my help Serrif?" she asked. "Avalis only knows what sort of cooks men make," she smiled weakly. "Perhaps that's why women were made... in her wisdom. Her ability to foresee just how well each gender would compliment and provide aid to the other."

OOCUm... the wiki said that divination could take only a few breaths so I figured it could work. I tried to keep it more general, so that it would fit with your history, but if there's a problem, pm me and I can edit.

P.S. You expected me not to complicate things didn't you?

Silly Ser, I love to complicate things.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

OOCAll good to me, oh and I will not go down that easy Blythe

He grumbled in his mind. Why did she act like she still loved him? He saw her reaction when he touched her gently. He could feel her body almost melt under his hands. She closed her eyes almost as if she wanted something more from him. As if she wanted him to confess his love for her all over again as a gentle whisper into her ear. As if she wanted him to bring her closer to him and hold her forever. But there were conflicts; almost endless conflicts. She closed her eyes and tears flowed. She screamed for some unknown reason and he held her close. He could feel her body tremble as if something horrible was happening. When she finished he let her go gently assuming she likely just needed time away from him. It seemed everyone needed time away from him. So he backed off and decided he would go and build a fire so they could cook dinner. He drew his hand and well went off to grab the appropriate pieces of wood.

He toiled over that encounter piece by piece. Somehow his presence caused her pain. Caused her to scream and toil in pain. How could this be? He still didn’t understand it all. Every time she touched him she seemingly saw something horrible. Her gift was a curse every time she touched him. Every single time she would see and feel a small piece of the almost never ending pain and suffering he had endured. As to what memories would be called up to her well that was for Avalis to decide. And it always seemed the most horrible were conjured up and brought before Blythe. But were they the worst or were they just another piece of the scattered puzzle that formed Serrif? He had no real way of knowing but as far as he could tell he was torture to her. Everything he did was nothing but torture to her.

He sighed and carefully built the fire for the cooking of the meal. He then constructed himself a box fire and in the middle built himself a small tipi consisting of very small pinky sized sticks and what he would use to ignite it. He found that there was a particularly good dry moss that would flare up quite well. It was easily found usually on the forest floor and provided a good starter for the fire. He carefully ignited the fire and watched it making sure it started off well. And indeed it did with some careful and thoughtful stoking and blowing. It got to the point where it could sustain itself and he then turned his attention to the fish. He took out his knife and carefully dressed the fish. He had learned this himself and from reading books in the library on the subject. He did so easily placing the filets in the iron skillet.

This was about the time Blythe was walking up the beach. What would he tell her, how could he tell her what was going through his mind? ‘Oh Blythe, why every time you touch me do you begin to cry?’ no that wasn’t right. He knew the reason. He just…it was eating him inside. He wanted Blythe. More than he wanted any woman. But how could he just tell her that? No he couldn’t tell her that. Not again. He didn’t want her having another break down and running away from him again. He wasn’t sure he could withstand that kind of denial again. She had already proved that she just didn’t care how he felt. When she ran away from him she proved she wasn’t ready for anything from him. But then why did she agree to have dinner with him? Why was she here where she knew she could find him? He hadn’t moved anywhere since his arrival here. He had always been in his tent right off the beach in the forest. Plenty of Konti knew this and Blythe was one of them.

Especially at this time of day near nightfall she knew she would be able to find him here after his duties in the Temple. Had she come looking for him? Even without her knowing it had she been drawn here for one reason or another? He was certain he was now drawing conclusions and making links where there were none to be had. Blythe had come to the ocean and just happened to be where he was at this time. But did that really make more sense than her searching him out? He really wasn’t sure which made more sense to him at this moment; nor was he sure which one he wanted to believe.

“Yes Blythe I believe this is ready to be cooked.” He said with a feigned smile. He wanted her to believe everything was ok with him.

He figured in a way she would know something wasn’t right. If she cared she would say something; if she had feelings for him she would say something. Or give him a hint a sign…anything really. But if she wanted nothing to do with him she would walk away emotionally. She would distance herself and detach like she had before. He sighed and then looked to her.

“Does that happen every time you touch anyone? Or just with me Blythe?” He asked looking to her eyes for the answer. He knew with Blythe her words were sometimes lies, it was her body language and eyes that spoke her true feelings. She could hide behind a mask, but he would know how she felt. And he hoped for the best. He wanted to understand her better than anyone. But he wasn’t going to try tirelessly anymore. If she wanted to shrug him off he would let her do so. He would write her off and in his mind she would be dead to him. When she left so much unfinished business between them it was toiling on his heart and mind.

He wanted more. But it wasn’t about him; and it couldn’t just be about him anymore. It had to be about the other person in the equation as well. He just had to figure out how Blythe fit in all of this; what she wanted to be and he would leave it there. If she wanted to shut him out and leave him forever emotionally detached then so be it. He would let her keep going in her selfish ways. He could learn to live with that he figured. It was just how things were sometimes. There were times when you had to know when to just stop trying. When a feat you thought was possible was anything but possible. And he was reaching that precipice now. He was literally staring over the side into the dark abyss.

The same abyss he had been in when in the camp. The art of being numb to the entire world around you. Ignoring the pain caused to you indefinitely because it was useless. The art of forming no relationships because those who were close to you were taken away and violated violently; that same place where he had nothing to lean on and none to count on any longer. He was there staring into the abyss…and he saw it stare back with the same eyes. As if to gently extend a welcome to a long lost friend. As if it knew he would end up here all along. He shook his head and quietly told himself he always knew he deserved no better. All this time he knew that what had been beaten out of him was to stay that way. Sometimes it was better to leave the feelings of hope, love, destiny, and fate dead. Because by hoping and praying for better sometimes you only got the opposite. And when your dreams were crushed before you it would be better not to have them at all.

OOCOr will I??? Serrif is sucn a doormat...

[Blythe]

Blythe walked over to Serrif's tent. She could see his blanket spilling over the side of the fabric and onto the sand. Several beige grains clinging to the furled edges. This should do, Blythe thought, as she bent to pick it up, and carry it back over to the fire. "I hope you don't mind Ser, but... this may come in handy when that pan starts getting hot. Wouldn't want to burn ourselves trying to take everything off when it's done cooking, now would we?" she asked, as she threw the blanket over her shoulder, so that it cascaded halfway down her front, and halfway down her back.

The Konti bent over, extending her right hand towards the iron skillet containing their dinner. She wound her fingers around the handle, before reaching for a small container, which contained several salt crystals. She held the fingers of her left hand together, and plucked some of the salt out of the container. She sprinkled the white crystals on the fish. "That should do, to season it," she commented rather absently, as she put the skillet down for a moment, and then wrapped her right hand in the blanket. When she was done, she held the pan over the fire. "It's going to be difficult to heat this up inside the heart of the fire... now that it has gotten going," she whispered, as Serrif's words cut across her senses.

There was a sharp intake of breath, as the Konti forced air into her lungs. Forced herself to breath as sweat trickled down her brow. Forced her fingers to stay within the confines of the blanket, holding the pan as her eyes grew wide, and her heart skipped several beats, before it resumed its hammering.

"Does what always happen?" Blythe whispered, as her hand trembled, causing the pan to wobble. She could hear the meat sizzling, hissing as tiny tendrils of grey steam and smoke wound around each other. Dancing into a spiral that stretched towards the sky. "You... did you hear something Ser? See something, somewhat... unnatural?" Blythe asked. "Or did you merely sense it, since you seem to know me so well?" she whispered, as she cast her gaze down from his eyes, to the fish in the frying pan. Silently wishing she were one of them, that she didn't have to explain herself.

Blythe felt as though she were a little girl once more. A girl who had done something wrong. That her gift was now a curse. That Serrif's knowledge of it tortured him. Much like what what he knew she had seen must. Surely, if he cared, he wouldn't want her to relive his past, even though, in a way, it always brought them closer. And yet... drove them farther apart.

"Did I scream?" Blythe whispered, as the pan dipped in her hands, forcing her to right it, before the fish caught on fire. She could barely hear it crackling past the sound of the roaring waves. Past the beating of her own heart, the ringing in her ears. "When the whip came down... did I scream?" she asked, as she looked at him, her eyes growing watery. Glassy. Blurry. "Is that how you knew, or was it because of the shell I left?"

Blythe fell silent after that, giving herself a moment to swallow the clump of saliva that had gathered in her throat. Offering a time and space, a short silence, for Serrif to say something, anything.

"It doesn't always happen when we touch," Blythe whispered. "Nor does it happen every time my flesh meets with that of another." She felt sorry then, for seeing. Sorry for knowing him. Sorry for trying to know him, and so very small. He seemed so upset. So angry with her, and yet, a part of her knew she had done nothing wrong, while the rest of her resented her gift in that moment, and everything that she was.

"I'm sorry Ser, if it hurts you. But, I cannot help what I see," Blythe added, as she pushed her hand upwards, causing the fish to float into the air, and twirl around, before landing back in the skillet with a gentle plop. One of them, the one on the right, dangled over the edge of the iron skillet. Blythe nudged it back in with her left hand, and listened to it sizzle. She knew they would be done soon. Maybe even a bit overdone with how she had blackened the bottom during the time she had spent replying to Ser. Lost in her thought. Her shame. Her regret.

"I can only come to accept what Avalis chooses to reveal," Blythe whispered. "Please forgive me..."

OOCMy, our pcs have developed quite the messed up relationship.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Serrif watched Blythe intently. He smiled when she brought his cover over to handle the pan with. It was indeed a good choice. He made sure that for her safety she wouldn’t hurt herself. He didn’t want her any more harmed than she already was. Internally his heart dropped further into a pit. But he sighed and just figured he would let it be. It never paid to get emotionally involved; Blythe had proven this to him…and then Angelique. He just wasn’t meant to be loved by those women it seemed. But he figured his time would come eventually…even if it took longer than he would like. He watched her season the fish and it only made him want her more…but was he in love with her? Or the idea of her?

He tried cautiously to separate the two. Was he really in love with Blythe? Or was he in love with the idea of a wife? Or someone that understood him and loved him in that understanding. But Blythe didn’t love him, no in his mind he was a child in age compared to her. That was the only thing that made sense to him, but how did she know his age? And did he really know hers? But in his mind that was the only thing that really stood between them. Between her and her having him. He could easily fall for her if she only told him she loved him. It was pitiful really. He brushed the thought aside…No, she was beautiful but that hid her flaw…the fact that she was emotionally destroyed and detached.

She may care for him but he knew she would likely never really ‘love’ him. She would see him like her child; one she needed to take care of and tend to. But he was far stronger than that. He was far more than a simple lost child. He came here and had gotten direction in his life. He knew where he was going now and he was committed to it. Maybe that was his problem; he was so committed to healing that he couldn’t have any other commitments right now. It made sense but at the same time it disheartened him. He sighed listening to her. Did she not know she screamed? How could she not know this, didn’t she hear herself?

“ I know because you screamed Blythe like you were being tortured and then you started crying. Just like the first time we met when your gift flared.” He could tell her demeanor was dropping and she was spiraling out of control. He grabbed his shirt from his tent and put it on. He didn’t want her tracing any more scars and sending herself into another episode.

The way she handled the fish was the first sign of this. She was trembling and nearly set the entire pan on fire. He gathered himself now for what he was going to do. But he had to, he felt compelled to. And he was finally going to commit to a course of action no matter what it cost him. If she decided to leave him entirely forever he couldn’t and wouldn’t blame her. He would simply move along in life knowing he had actually tried with her. Knowing that no matter what he was going to be who he was. He was going to one more time gently put himself out to hurt. If she did so…well he wouldn’t stop her. He would merely fall again; harder but he was at least used to the feeling.

He walked up behind her and gently put his hand over hers. He took the pan skillfully from her making sure that the cover was there to buffer the heat. The fish was going to be done now anyway. It was going to be burned on one side and slightly undercooked on the other, but that meant that somewhere in there the fish would be cooked perfectly. The pan was taken gently from Blythes grip and set on the sand. Before she could say anything he was right in front of her. His right hand gently around her waist and his left hand on the side of her face.

His voice was gentle, almost loving as he spoke to her hardly any higher than a whisper. “Blythe, I do not hate you nor your gift. I only worry…” There was a pause as he brushed back some of the hair in her face and looked deep into her wonderful depths.

He saw a woman who was so unstable emotionally. She worried about what he thought, she in that moment hated her gift. Hated that she had caused him to hate her; but that wasn’t true as he had just explained. And his eyes spoke this truth as well. If she was in tune with emotions at all she would know he spoke sincerity as he smiled and then continued.

…for you Blythe. I don’t want you to see my past like that. Because I am so much better off now. My past doesn’t reflect how I am now or what I am now. I am a different man. Yes those memories haunt me. But they have made me a stronger more driven person Blythe. I do not hate you for what you are unable to control.” He paused letting that sink in as he gauged her response. She was lightening up somewhat likely by now.

“It is one of the things I like about you Blythe, you know me. More than anyone. I only wish I could know you Blythe like you know me.” He said as he continued to hold her slender form near his. It was a comfort to actually touch someone else like this. He didn’t know how it would feel for her. As far as he could tell before she had an episode of hers she was enjoying his presence.

OOCBalls in Blythe's court now. What to do???

[Blythe]

"You don't think that needs another minute, do you?" Blythe asked, her voice little more than a whisper as Serrif pulled her towards him. She could feel his hand pressed into her back. Its warmth, more than likely from the heat of the fire, the pan he had taken from her, than anything else. After all, he did seem somewhat nervous, uncomfortable.

Blythe closed her eyes as Serrif pressed his hand into her cheek. She leaned into it a little, allowing his flesh to send subtle, tingling sensations through her own. Oh Avalis, how long has it been since someone held me as tenderly as this? Blythe wondered, as she forced her eyes to open, so she could look into Serrif's own. They seemed pained, yet edged with a bit of longing. With happiness.

"You only worry about what?" Blythe whispered, as Serrif pulled some of her long blonde lockes away, so that it would not obscure her vision of him, or his of her. "You worry..." she whispered, before falling silent, to listen to him.

"I understand Serrif," Blythe whispered, "I feel as though what the gift reveals allows me to see. Allows me to understand you. To know you in another light, in another life. Even if they terrify each of us." The konti cast her gaze down then, at the slender space that hung between them. She raised her right hand, and spread her palm out, against Serrif's left shoulder. Pressing it lightly into his flesh, moving it only a little. Slowly, up and down, so that it trailed to his pectoral muscle, and then back to the bridge of his shoulder.

"There isn't much to know Serrif... I come from a large family. A grandmother, mother, three older sisters, each of which have three children of their own," Blythe explained. She paused for a moment, swallowing the clump of saliva that had gathered in her throat. "I had a daughter once... but she died, only a few weeks after she was born." She paused again, fighting the tears that welled in the corners of her eyes. "Her name was Fawn... I have had no child since. The closest thing... my nieces... Keyta."

Blythe sniffed once, and then forced the tears away. "It's a sore spot, children. We Konti... enjoy large families. It's an honor to bare many children. It earns you a certain level of respect."

Blythe sniffed again. Why did she always have to start with Fawn? Why did her mind always have to go there?

"Why don't we finish talking over dinner Ser, we wouldn't want the fish you caught to get cold, now would we?" Blythe asked, as she waited for him to pull away from her. To nod his assent.

OOCYou got your OOC a little backwards...